


Breaking the Ice

by PoisonedCupcake



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha Yuri Plisetsky, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Beta Otabek, Comfort, Consensual sex later, Dark tones that bleed into fluff, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Yuuri, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Abortion, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape, Rape Recovery, Slow Burn, graphic depictions of rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2018-10-07 16:09:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10364358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonedCupcake/pseuds/PoisonedCupcake
Summary: When Yuuri moves away from home a year after a traumatizing event, he does everything he can to push his past and secondary gender to the side to focus on his hobby, skating. Unfortunately, alphas seem to dominate the ice, and his fear of them leads him to worry that he might not be able to deal with it.





	1. Fake it 'Till You Make it

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I suppose this is the part where I kind of introduce myself since I'm new???
> 
> Naaah, I won't do that. I'll just give you some content warnings then send you on your way to read!
> 
> This fanfic will focus on the aftermath of Yuuri being raped, and I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. Panic attacks, fits of rage, and general angst will be in this, and the romance is going to be a slow burn. This story won't be very long but some chapters will likely be lengthy. Some will also be quite short. It's filled with cliches and tropes, but I try to live without shame, so pretend it's all new, alright? ヽ(〃･ω･)ﾉ
> 
> The tags above aren't in any order, they just generally cover the main themes that will be in this.
> 
> We start off right in the middle of Yuuri thinking about the trauma, so I'm giving you a chapter warning here as well!
> 
> If you have any questions or anything, follow me on my Tumblr!  
> https://poisonedcupcake.tumblr.com/
> 
> Now that we have all that sorted, I hope you enjoy this story!

Yuuri couldn’t breathe. If there was one thing he would have asked for in that moment, it would have been the freedom of his burning lungs. The omega in him had even stopped wanting the attention the alphas were forcing upon him, their loud, demanding growls echoing in his ears as a threat to his life rather than a show of power like they had been at the start.

His jaw had become numb from having one cock forced into it after another, his face a mess of tears, spit, and cum. From the waist down all he could feel was a sharp burning sensation that felt like it would never stop.

Every time he pictured those men -the way they touched him, the way they so roughly handled him- it was almost like he was looking at it through someone else’s eyes like his own brain didn’t want to believe that it had happened to him. But god could he still feel the pain and terror.

At times, he wondered if being an omega was somehow his fault. It wasn’t as if people were able to choose their secondary genders, but his uneasy mind just wanted  _ something _ to blame.  _ Anything. _ Even himself. In the end, it was always his fault for not protecting himself somehow. For not fighting his heat hard enough, for not biting, clawing, punching his way out.

They were apparently trying to breed him. That much was obvious from the lack of condoms or birth control of any kind. He would have carried one of their pups had he not been seen by a doctor afterward to get it taken care of.

An omega having an abortion was unheard of; illegal, actually. In Yuuri’s case, however, he was allowed the procedure because of what had happened. Having one could permanently damage their womb and make them infertile, which was something that Yuuri was okay with.

He never wanted to lay with an alpha again, let alone bear one of their children.

Their claws had left scars on his arms and legs where they had held him down. Yuuri remembered the pools of blood and other bodily fluids he had to lie in while he waited for his body to heal just enough to move again.

He lost track of many things while his body was being used. How many alphas had he been within just that one day? Was it just a day, or had he lost consciousness and became unaware of the time going by? How long had it taken for someone to actually come and rescue him?

The police had said something about a few days, but to him, everything was just a blurred together mess of tears, blood, and growls. He supposed they were probably right. His heat only lasted about three days, and that’s what had started the whole mess.

One whiff of an omega about to go into heat and apparently alphas were unable to stop themselves from grabbing them and dragging them off to an empty house to have their way with them.

To assume  _ all _ alphas were that way was unfair; Yuuri knew they could be kind. He personally knew a few, of course, everyone did. But the chance of even just one of them being rotten kept him on edge around all them.

A gentle  _ ping _ sound caused Yuuri to gasp, and he realized that his elevator had come to a stop. He was alone in the small space, something that he was thankful for. It felt safe.

Stepping out, Yuuri exhaled and pushed all of his jumbled up thoughts out with the puff of air. All of that was a year behind him now. He was in Chicago, not Japan. He smelled and walked like an alpha, not an omega. A new life was ahead of him, his old life far behind.

The heady scent of alpha lingered in the hall of the apartment building. It was something he had taught himself to ignore, for the most part. He had to if he were going to live his new life acting like an alpha. His inner omega would occasionally whine when he got too close to one, but his overall fear of them would put it in its place, fuzzy flashbacks forcing him to distance himself from them almost immediately.

Yuuri’s new apartment could be photographed and stuck in the dictionary under the word cramped. The simple brown door lead right into the front room, already furnished with a single couch, end table, and a TV mounted to the wall thanks to the movers his mother had hired for him. She had been so supportive of his move, encouraging him to do whatever he needed to so that he could get past what happened.

To his left was his new kitchen. Its age showed in both rooms which had a lot of the same brown color, faded slightly from years of use. The fake tile in the kitchen had yellowed, making the fridge and microwave stand out, them being much newer and untouched.

He was carrying only one bag, his last bag, and when he closed the door and set it down, he fell to his knees and forced in a deep breath. A wave of relief washed over him. So far away were his old problems. He could start all over here as an alpha. Fake it until you make it, they say. That’s what he now had the chance to do.

Collecting himself and the bag, Yuuri stood once more and proudly made his way to his bedroom down the short hall. He passed the bathroom on his way, the place the contents of the bag belonged in, but he would worry about that later. The fresh, never used mattress was calling to him and it was already late.

Though, he did need to do one thing with the bag.

Yuuri placed it on his bed and pulled the zipper as if it were cutting the wires on a bomb. Inside this bag, the blue, large duffle bag, his scent markers were hidden. Everything that made him come off as an alpha was in it, and he needed to put up scent blockers on the windows and doors.

The small devices were designed to basically suck up the omega scent and spew out an alpha musk, making his apartment give off the illusion that an alpha was living there. They were expensive and usually only allowed to be sold to betas, but Yuuri always managed to play off being an alpha well enough that no one asked.

Yuuri would simply claim that he had a beta at home that felt better when the entire house smelled of an alpha and they would hand it over. He had money saved from his old job at a convenience store back home and his parents had sent him off with some, so buying what he needed wasn’t an issue. A job would still need to be found within the month, but he could squeak by for until he got comfortable.

Setting up the scent blockers took him half an hour and climbing around the apartment further exhausted Yuuri. By the time he was done he was ready to pass out and wasted no time getting undressed and slipping under his covers.

As an omega, small spaces comforted him immensely. This place -with the scent blockers and deadbolt- would be perfect to nest in and have his heats. He wasn’t due to have one for another month, which would be just the right amount of time for him to adjust.

Though he had been allowed the abortion, Yuuri wasn’t able to get on any birth control to regulate his heats. He just had to plan around them and pretend that they were an alpha’s heat; aggressive and possessive. This bought him the time to lock himself away and ride out his heat until the gross, sweaty process was over with.

Until that time came Yuuri was going to get himself familiar with the area and see just how many alphas he would have to put up with throughout his days there. The nerves that were already tying knots in his stomach made him gulp and curl up under his blanket.

They were just alphas, he’s dealt with plenty normal ones before. They wouldn’t see or smell through his guise. He would be able to go to the ice rink in the morning to clear his head, and he would be able to totally avoid any of the alphas that he knew would be there.

Yuuri would just need to be confident and force whatever bad memories that bubbled up back down.

“Fake it until you make it. Fake it until you make it.” He chanted this to himself until he fell asleep. He could fake it and he would make it. So long as he kept his nose clean and held high, Yuuri would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of this as a prologue rather than a first chapter. The next chapter is when things really pick up and we get all of our exposition and world building!
> 
> [On a more serious note, my chipper attitude does not in any way reflect how I feel about this topic. This is a serious topic and I intend to take it seriously in-story, but here in the notes is for me to talk to you guys, so my tone will be much lighter here!]


	2. Without Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, welcome/welcome back! There's more of this because I wanted to write it. No content warnings this time! I edit what I can, but only having one set of eyes can be rough for rough drafts. Meaning I've probably messed up in some places. Forgive me (❁°͈▵°͈)

Yuuri’s bed felt so safe and warm, he never wanted to leave. Being wrapped up in his blanket all day sounded heavenly, although it wasn’t smothered in a scent he was used to -something he would need to fix before his heat. But, Yuuri _did_ have plans to go to the skating rink, so staying in bed all day would have to wait until he got more comfortable with the area.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at his ceiling. There would be alphas at the rink, though. Probably more than Yuuri wanted to deal with. What if one tried to talk to him? What if he was left alone with one? Would he be able to use the locker room without one of them smelling him? Sure, he had his deodorant and had washed his skating clothes in his special detergent, but what if he perspired too much and his scent was too much? Yuuri _was_ within a month of his next heat, would it show?

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri tried to ground himself. He had started to shake and his hands gripped at his blanket so tightly that they began to ache.

The deodorant would be enough, it hadn’t failed him yet. He could change at home and skip the locker room entirely. If he felt uncomfortable at any time, he could leave. There would be employees and the rink was a public place. Yuuri would be safe.

Focusing on his breath that time, Yuuri inhaled deeply and let the air filling his lungs ground him. His iron grip on his bedding lessened and the tears that had pooled in the corners of his eyes no longer threatened to fall.

Talking himself out of a panic had always been a rare occasion, and Yuuri let himself be proud of his moment.

“See?” he told himself. “I can do this. I can do this. I _can_ do this. I-I-” He stopped himself and swallowed thickly. If he thought about it anymore the panic would consume him again, he had to just pull himself out of bed and go.

Invisible chains only allowed Yuuri to roll back on his side. He growled at himself and used every ounce of willpower to push off of his bed, nearly falling to the floor. He righted himself and held his head for a moment.

Whenever he forced himself to do something that his body didn’t want to do, he would get lightheaded and need to take some time to breathe. Going to the rink would be good. He hadn’t skated in a long time and he knew it would help. He had to do this. For himself.

Filled with a new determination, Yuuri got dressed. Since he would be skipping the locker room, he didn’t bother to pack new clothes, instead making sure that he was thoroughly doused in his alpha cologne. The stronger his fake scent came off, the less likely it was for an actual alpha to approach him with any advances. He only hoped that none of them had unmated betas around since they might take his strong smell as a challenge.

Yuuri made himself a quick brunch that consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some milk. It was a light meal, but he would treat himself to a nice, full dinner when he was done skating.

Since he didn’t know the area well enough, Yuuri had to use his phone to navigate himself to the nearest rink. He walked, seeing as it was only a mile or so, following his GPS app.

The fresh air felt nice, but it was a little hot out. His jacket swayed on his hips, tied tightly around them so that he didn’t have to endure the heat of it until he was on the ice where he would actually need it. He was tempted to hold it with his skates instead, afraid that he would already be too sweaty.

“This doesn’t look right…” Yuuri looked down at his phone and back up at the large building.

It looked new, fresh blue and gray paint anywhere that the large windows didn’t cover. The lobby inside was empty of people, which allowed him to see the beautiful, designer decor. Everything about it screamed modern, big, and expensive. _Not_ old and small like the one he had _wanted_ to go to.

Yuuri sighed and slumped his shoulders. His phone had taken him to the wrong rink. This one must’ve been a newer one that he hadn’t heard about. Walking to the other one -if it even still existed- in the heat would make him sweat more and by then he would be too nervous to go in.

Judging by the staff inside, Yuuri could tell that it was open, and he seriously debated going in. He really wanted to skate. If he didn’t go in here, he wouldn’t be able to skate at all.

He shifted his weight and gulped. What kind of alphas would be in a place like this? Probably very aggressive, competitive ones. The kind that Yuuri especially wanted to avoid.

“Are you alright, sir?”

A young woman’s voice made Yuuri jump back and yelp, falling ungracefully onto his rear. When his initial scare faded, he looked at her and sniffed the air, calming even further when he found that she was simply a beta.

“F-fine, I’m sorry.” He hurriedly stood, brushing his pants off. “Is this rink open?”

The woman laughed then gave an exaggerated shrug. “It is if you don’t mind sharing the ice with the pros. I was going to skate today too since it’s dead, but I don’t like being watched so intently.”

Everything about this woman relaxed Yuuri. She reminded him a lot of Yuko, a friend that he had an emotional parting with when he left Japan. Her presence made him smile.

“I don’t mind sharing the ice.” He did, but this rink looked big enough for him to keep to whatever side the others weren’t using.

She smiled back at him, her pearly white teeth catching the sunlight. “Well, alright. Have fun!” A polite wave and she was gone, leaving Yuuri to stare back at the building.

“I can do this,” he said to himself. Clenching his fists, Yuuri straightened his back and held himself like an alpha. If he acted confident, they would leave him be.

His chest clenched when he walked into the building and he nearly whimpered. The air was drenched in alpha scent, the oil sticks on the front desk not hiding a bit of the smell coming from the rink.

After what had happened, Yuuri’s body always had two separate reactions to alphas. The omega in him -especially now that his heat was coming up- wanted nothing more than to put his body on display in hopes of sharing the heat with an alpha. All of those feeling would be shot down quickly, however, when his more rational side would remember the clouded musk that suffocated him while alphas had their way with his body.

A violent shiver ran up his spine and Yuuri had to shake those thoughts from his head. He wasn’t about to let some sweaty alphas ruin his skating time.

“I would like a day pass,” he started sternly. “Please,” he added softly.

The annoyed man sitting behind the desk glanced up at Yuuri from under his thick eyelashes. Though his eyes bored into him, Yuuri didn’t feel very threatened since this man had a strong beta scent. He was thankful that they were all he seemed to be running into.

Lazily, the man tapped on his computer screen, pressing a button to ring up the pass. “Ten bucks, reader’s on the counter.”

Yuuri nodded and fumbled for his wallet, pulling free his new, American card.

“Doors are open, it’s free skate. No outside food or drink, blah, blah.” He sniffed the air and sneered. “And don’t be starting any fights.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Yuuri chuckled awkwardly.

The man handed him the printed pass then returned to looking at his phone, no longer caring for the conversation.

With the pass, Yuuri started to drag his feet to the doors that lead into the rink. He could hear chatter, soft music, and blades scraping against the ice. Yuuri had been around strange alphas in the past year. He knew how to handle them, his nerves were just getting the best of him.

Yuuri knew he could do this.

The rink was immaculate. Clean, highly cushioned seats wrapped around the massive skating area and a crisp air chilled Yuuri as soon as he was fully inside. There were benches on the sides, ones that looked like they could be roped off during an event.

“You need more speed,” a voice chirped out over the sound of music.

A young, blond man was currently lying on the ice, scowling at the man who had spoken. He scoffed and picked himself up, already getting back into his routine.

The man standing on the side glanced over at Yuuri then back to the ice, pausing for a moment before he did a double take. His short, silver hair, intense stare, sharp features, and tall posture made Yuuri feel a little weak in the knees. He was one attractive man.

But he was also an alpha. One that was staring at Yuuri and smiling, no longer paying attention to the blond that furiously skated to the upbeat classical music playing from the speaker resting on a small table.

Yuuri gulped and looked away from the man. He could do this. The silver haired man likely just wanted to let Yuuri know that he had noticed him, not anything heinous.

The blond fell again and shouted, pounding his fist on the ice. “I know I can do these stupid jumps!”

“Calm down, Yuri, I know you can too. You just have to focus.” Both men had thick Russian accents, their words almost lost on Yuuri.

He spoke English fluently, but some accents were a little harder for him to understand. Russian, apparently, was one of them. Not so badly that it was impossible to work with, but enough that he may have to ask for them to repeat themselves on occasion.

Yuuri perked up at the mention of his name, -that much he understood- but cocked his head to the side when he realized that he wasn’t the one being addressed.

“Are you going into heat soon, is that it? You know I allow for time off when-”

“No!” the other Yuri shouted. “And I’d like it if you didn’t mention that crap when there are other people around.”

The attractive alpha waved his hand at the blond, his eyes still on Yuuri. “We’re all alphas here, there’s no issue. I’m sure this stranger doesn’t mind. Do you?”

Yuri followed the man’s gaze and gave Yuuri a death glare. Having an alpha be that aggressive right off the bat, even one younger and smaller than him, made Yuuri shiver and he had to force himself not to cower.

“Come skate with us, don’t be shy!” The alpha on the side calmly walked over to Yuuri, his long legs carrying him over quickly. He reached out to put an arm around Yuuri, but the smaller man flinched back and nearly let a hiss slip out.

He suddenly became keenly aware of how rapidly his heart was pounding in his chest. The alpha wasn’t approaching him with hostile intent, but he was brash, and that scared Yuuri.

The man looked bewildered at first and took a step back, a look of understanding filling his features. “I’m sorry, where are my manners! I am Victor Nikiforov,” he said with an extravagant bow. “I’m here to coach that angry little brat sitting on the ice.” He laughed when Yuri started to shout at him. “We don’t mind you sharing the ice with us! In fact, I’d love to see you skate! Do you do it often?”

Yuuri had to level his thoughts before he spoke. This alpha was very open and apparently unashamed of most things. He felt overwhelmed by his surprisingly sweet but strong scent mixed with his in-your-face attitude.

“Ah, well, uh,” Yuuri stammered while fidgeting with his jacket, which still hung on his hips. Putting it on soon would make him feel better, as well as actually getting on the ice. “Sometimes,” was all he could manage to say.

Victor excitedly clasped his hands together then gestured to the ice. “Well, get your skates on, let’s skate!” The alpha skipped away to a bench that had two bags on it, digging in one until he pulled out some very expensive looking skates, definitely professional grade.

Yuuri looked down at his own skates, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious that his were an old pair that he had had for years. He put them on anyway, hesitating slightly. Was he really about to join a couple of alphas on the ice? One acted very aggressively and the other had a very energetic personality that Yuuri wasn’t sure he could keep up with.

Once he had his skates and jacket on, the ice suddenly had a heavy impending doom feeling to it. Once Yuuri stepped on, he would be stuck for at least an hour. If he left earlier than that the alphas might wonder why he was so afraid of them. Of course, it wasn’t like he could leave right then anyway. He already had his skates on, there was no turning back.

He wondered very briefly if putting his headphones on would be rude but soon decided that he would put one of the buds in regardless. His music would help ease the rapidly fraying nerves.

“I don’t believe I caught your name!” Victor shouted at him from the other side of the rink.

Getting in on the further side had been on purpose, but it didn’t seem like it had deterred Victor in the least bit.

“My name is also Yuuri,” he said almost too quietly.

Victor effortlessly glided to him, his hands behind his back. The man should have been cold with just a simple, thin, gray v-neck on, however he seemed perfectly content with the chilly air around them.

“Two Yuris,” he mused. “That might get a little confusing.” He skated around Yuuri while tapping his finger on his chin. “Perhaps we should call my pupil something else.”

“Me? Why do I have to have a nickname? Make him have one!” Yuri kept his distance, which Yuuri was glad for. The less alpha smell surrounding him, the better.

The energetic alpha looked back at Yuuri and hummed. “I’d like to see you skate first. Can you do any jumps?”

Yuuri gave a small shrug. He wanted to avoid making himself seem small and submissive, but the taller man -the _alpha-_ had stopped right in front of him, much too close for personal comfort.

His scent was a natural musk mixed with some sort of cologne, one that wasn’t too strong and overbearing but still lingered in your nose. Yuuri’s omega whined at it and wanted to bury himself in the scent, but again his logical side reminded it of the last time he had been soaked in an alpha’s stink.

“I would like to see what you know,” Victor said softly. He was staring down at Yuuri, a new, much less energetic look on his face. It was gentle and thoughtful, almost as if he were trying to read Yuuri.

“Alright,” the smaller man breathed. Backing away, Yuuri proceeded to circle the end of the rink Yuri wasn’t using, warming himself up because it had been a long time since he had skated last.

Victor moved out of his way and ushered Yuri further back as well, giving Yuuri the entire rink to use. He wasn’t sure why the alpha wanted to see him skate so badly, but Yuuri would entertain the idea, if only because it got the alphas away from him.

The song playing from his headphones ended and as the new one began, Yuuri started to skate with it. He never once made up any kind of routine in his mind, he just went with the music and did what felt right. After many years of watching Olympic skaters and ice shows, he had a basic understanding of what he was supposed to do.

Small jumps were something he could do. Yuuri landed one, albeit sloppily, and smiled when his skates continued to glide on the ice rather than come out from under him.

Being watched so closely made him a little nervous. Yuuri remembered the woman he met outside and how she said that they would be observing him. He didn’t think she actually meant it so seriously. The alphas were watching him skate, probably comparing him to themselves, inwardly mocking him for his subpar abilities.

Attempting another small jump to impress them was, in short, a mistake. Yuuri landed it, but awkwardly and only one foot connected with the ice. The speed launched him right into the border around the rink, his shoulder hitting it with enough force to make Yuuri cry out.

Victor was to him in seconds, the other Yuri not far behind.

“I was impressed until the wall,” the silver-haired alpha laughed. “Are you alright?” he added more seriously.

Both alphas towered over him, their presence hurting the situation more than helping.

“Fine,” Yuuri forced out. He pushed himself up and squared up to the alphas, a clear sign that he wanted them to back off. It came off more harshly than he intended, but they took it as a warning and not a challenge, thankfully.

“Really, though, you did wonderfully! With some work, you could be amazing!” Victor pulled Yuri away at the warning signal from the other. “You’re welcome to come skate with us whenever you’d like. Yuri seems to be going through some sort of pre-heat rage, so being friendly might have to wait.”

“I am not going into heat!” Yuri protested. “Otabek and I have it scheduled for weeks from now if you really must know, nosey old man.”

The blond’s aggressive tone made Yuuri stiffen and clench his fists. He had to play it cool. If he whimpered or acted submissive they would question it, and he wasn’t prepared for that.

“Ah, having a schedule is perfect! I take it you worked it around practice?” Victor looked over at Yuuri, eyeing him from head to toe, clearly looking for any other injury. When he found none, his attention went back to Yuri.

“Duh,” he scoffed. “At least he’s a beta and not an omega. Having to plan two heats sounds like such a hassle.”

Victor nodded slowly, his head tilting to the side. “I assume it would be. It’s likely that neither of us will ever have to worry about it, however. Omegas are so scarce these days. I’ve heard they only show up in small towns, not big cities like this.”

“I don’t have to worry about it because I’ve got Beka. I don’t see myself leaving him for some prissy omega.”

Yuuri unintentionally lowered his head. Omegas had a reputation of being spoiled brats that cried wolf the second an alpha gave them a funny look or breathed in their general direction. In reality, omegas were just scared, and only pampered when they were fertile and actively looking to bond and mate. Some omegas did fit the stereotype, sure, but out of whatever handful of them was left, Yuuri knew that an omega that didn’t seem useful was anything but prissy and spoiled.

“Yuuri?” Victor was looking at him again, his expression gentle. “I’m sorry, have we touched a sore spot? We didn’t mean it. I have nothing against omegas. I’m sure the one you’re thinking of isn’t like they say they are.”

If anything, at least Victor seemed genuinely nice. Yuuri knew alphas could be, he just never wanted to get close enough to talk to one and see that. This one just happened to be right in his face, as if the universe had tossed the man at him to show him that he had to stop cowering from them. This _was_ his new start, he should be trying to be more open to the idea of making friends, alpha or not.

“Uh, it’s my...mom. My mother is an omega,” he lied as he straightened himself again. “I’m from a small village in Japan, omegas are a little more common there.” That was a lie also. Yuuri had only ever met two other omegas his entire life and both were from out of town.

“I’m sure she’s wonderful!” Victor opened his mouth to say more but Yuri harshly pushed him in the shoulder.

“Are we going to train more today or what? I need to get these jumps down before the next competition.” The blond crossed his arms, again narrowing his eyes at Yuuri. “We’ll have more time for your life story some other time, four eyes.” He skated off to the other side of the rink, heading for their radio to change the music.

Victor gave Yuuri an apologetic look. “He’s just frustrated with himself, don’t take it personally. I would love it if you did come skate with us again sometime, we could talk more! Do you have plans of coming back here?”

Besides slamming into the wall and not actually getting much skating time in, Yuuri hadn’t had an awful time. These alphas weren’t so bad. He was still going to keep his guard up around them, but none of the aggression had been towards him.

“I do. I’ll probably come back tomorrow. For now, I’m going to go home and nurse my shoulder.” Yuuri forced a smile. He had to seem confident around them, but he could do it. Standing tall with a puffed chest wasn’t too hard to feign, not when the alphas around him were being calm.

“I’ll be waiting for you then! I hope your shoulder feels better before you skate, it could be bad to overwork it.”

Yuuri nodded, rubbing the hurt shoulder. “I’ll be sure to take it easy.”

They parted ways, Victor returning to Yuri while saying something loudly in Russian that made the blond groan, and Yuuri going to the bench to take his skates off. They slipped free from his feet easily, the usual swollen ache not there to make it a painful process. He really had wished he had skated more than most of a song, but Yuuri was proud of himself regardless of how little skate time he got.

Not only had he gotten out of bed, but he walked to the rink in a new place, went _into_ the rink, talked to alphas, and kept his cool. For him, that was a huge win that deserved to be rewarded.

“I hope there’s a place that sells pork cutlet bowls, or at least something like it around here,” he mumbled to himself. He looked back right as Yuri started a triple lutz, landing it perfectly.

The blond silently cheered while Victor loudly encouraged him from the side. Maybe landing the jump so flawlessly would have Yuri in a better mood tomorrow, and Yuuri could try to open up to them even more. It would be a challenge, but Yuuri felt good about it. He could make friends with these alphas, and he would do it without fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri seems to be braver than he thought! ...For now.  
> Things are light at the moment, but Yuuri will have some bad days/times in the future. He's just in denial right now about how afraid of coming out of his shell he is.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always loved!


	3. Moments of Bravery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while...Also I didn't have time to edit this chapter but I really wanted to put it out because you've all been waiting for so long ･ﾟ･(〃´∩｀p◇SΟЯЯΥ◆q´∩｀〃)･ﾟ･
> 
> In short, I had a lot going on irl so I had to put writing this off to the side. I moved and that took a lot of time but I'm back now! ٩꒰ ˘ ³˘꒱۶~♡
> 
> There was some confusion last chapter about how the heat thing works in this, so I'm here to clear that up!  
> All of the A/B/O stories I've read from another fandom had it so the alphas AND omegas went through heats, rather than omegas going through heats while alphas had ruts. I just write what I'm used to Σ(‘◉⌓◉’) so in this story they both have heats, and they happen more often than they might in other things you've read.
> 
> All that said, I hope you like this chapter! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Time passed way too fast for Yuuri. He wasn’t even able to sleep that night -thanks to both his shoulder pain and nerves- and yet the hands on the clock spun all too rapidly for him. He wanted to go back to the skating rink and actually get some skating time in but he also didn’t want to feel cornered about those alphas, nor did he want to fall again and hurt his arm even worse.

It was only swollen, nothing was broken or out of place, but it still hurt and he didn’t want to push it. An ice pack sat on it while he cooked himself a nice breakfast, thinking about how hungry he had been lately.

Before heats, omegas and alphas ate more than they usually would, preparing their bodies for the days where they would eat very little. Afterward, they would tend to eat a lot as well to make up for the lack of food depending on how much they were able to eat during. Those that didn’t eat a lot around or during their heats would need longer recovery times, which most wanted to avoid as it sucked to be stuck in bed for any longer than necessary.

Yuuri wasn’t all that worried that he was already starting to crave large meals. His heat was still about two weeks away, giving him plenty of time to prepare and avoid any scent mishaps.

Soft, classical music played from his small, Bluetooth speaker on the counter, further soothing his worries. Yuuri was fine. He had a new life, his heat was scheduled just in time for him to be ready to nest in his new home, and he had a place to skate.

Yeah, there were some loud alphas there, but he could handle it. They thought he was an alpha too, so they would have no real reason to bother him.

After he ate, Yuuri showered and scrubbed himself with his scent masking soap, determined to soak himself in the strong smells. He planned to skate for at least a solid hour, and he knew that would work up a good sweat. Packing a change of clothes and extra alpha perfume would help afterward, though he would have to ask that rather in-your-face alpha if the place had a private changing room.

Thinking of the alpha unsettled Yuuri a little. Would he be able to smell Yuuri while covered in sweat if he got close? What would he do if he did? The last time it was just him and the two alphas, would he be safe if they found out? One of them had made it sound like he was mated to a beta, but that didn’t always stop alphas from being aggressive.

They didn’t _seem_ like bad people, though…

No, he couldn’t let himself overthink this. He would be fine. Not all alphas were like the ones that hurt him.

Outside the air smelled clean and the weather was calm. It helped him breathe easier, relaxing his flurried thoughts. The weight of his bag didn’t even bother him like he thought it would. Knowing that the deodorant and cologne were in there to help keep him safe made it much easier to carry.

The rink stood less intimidating than it had the day before, the lobby still empty of people. He wondered why a place so nice would be so empty. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who had been intimidated by the alphas there. That girl _had_ said that they were pros and most people wouldn’t want to skate around people that could and would skate literal circles around them.

“Day pass?” Yuuri said softly to the man behind the counter, earning him an annoyed upwards glance.

“Same as yesterday,” he mumbled while readying the computer for payment and printing.

With his day there paid for, Yuuri summoned the courage he had found before and walked into the rink with purpose, unaware that there would be more people skating with the alphas.

“Oi, look who’s here!” Victor raised his hand high above his head and waved at Yuuri, bringing the attention of all of the others to him.

In the group, there were three alphas and a beta, the beta hanging closely to the other Yuri. He had short black hair and stood taller than his alpha, an interesting but not necessarily rare sight.

Victor skated over to meet Yuuri, the man’s excitement and smile growing as he approached. “I’m so glad you came back! Is your arm feeling any better?” He stepped off the ice, not coming much closer than a few feet from Yuuri.

“Yeah, it feels much better, thank you. H-how are you?” He adjusted the bag’s strap on his shoulder, his eyes stuck on the others. He hadn’t been prepared to face more alphas than he had the day before, but he knew he had to keep his brave streak going or he’d fall back into being too scared to go out.

“I’m doing well, thank you for asking.” The alpha gestured to the ice and his group of friends, his smile growing wider. “Come join us! We’d love the company. It gets a little stale in here with just us. People seem like they don’t want to skate when we’re here.”

Yuuri nodded, setting his bag down by a bench. “I-I gotta put my skates on first. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done.”

Victor gave him a small wave then skated back to the others, talking loudly to them about how Yuuri was going to skate with them.

It made him feel a little better that there was at least one beta in the group and that the other alphas didn’t seem too phased by him joining. He didn’t want to back down today because he really needed to skate to relieve some stress.

Once he was ice-ready Yuuri made his way over to one of the openings. He was wearing only one earbud again and happily listened to the music to ignore the others for a little while, warming up away from them.

It was nice that they had given him some space, likely knowing that he needed it to get his bearings. Yuuri had skated a bit back at home, but compared to them he definitely needed the time to get used to being on the ice.

He didn’t do anything fancy, mostly because he didn’t know how, but it seemed to once again catch the eye of the loud-mouthed alpha.

“I like how smooth your footwork is,” Victor said evenly as he skated in a slow circle around Yuuri.

The action didn’t feel threatening as much as it did playful. He had to keep reminding himself that Victor saw him as a fellow alpha, and not as an omega. Of course he wouldn’t be trying to corner him or scare him, alphas didn’t do that to each other.

“Thank you,” Yuuri said softly. “I-I used to skate a little back home. A good friend and her family were in charge of the rink, so I got to go in a lot.” He skated towards one of the walls so that the alpha couldn’t continue to circle him.

Victor seemed to notice that Yuuri didn’t like being cornered so he backed off. It was nice that he at least caught onto hints easily. “Have you ever considered doing it professionally?”

Yuuri was unable to hide his laugh. “A pro? Me? I’m a bit too clumsy for that, I think. I like skating as more of a hobby. I d-don’t think I’d make it very far in competitions.”

“Nonsense!” the alpha chimed. “I see a lot of potential in you.” He got close to Yuuri again, a friendly smile on his face. “I could show you a few things. Help you get into doing jumps and things like that.”

“I still don’t know…” Yuuri bit his bottom lip, looking down at the ice. It had plenty of fresh marks in it, most from him since the others seemed to be talking more than skating.

Victor’s smile softened and he gestured to his group of friends. “It’s okay, it’s not like I need an answer now. Would you think about it at least? Maybe while we’re all out for drinks? It’s rare that we find another alpha that’s relaxed around us. The others would love to meet you.”

It was unclear if Victor could see the color drain from Yuuri’s face, but after a moment of silence the alpha backed off. He moved back a foot or so, his smile looking more and more discouraged.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay. It would be a little strange going out with a group of people you’ve barely met, no?” His smile came back in full force and he elegantly turned on a dime to face the other way, looking back at Yuuri. “We’re leaving in half an hour if you change your mind.”

Yuuri was left alone on his side of the ice again, staring after the alpha. He really should go with them. There wasn’t any real reason he should turn the offer down. He was there to start his new life, after all. Making a few friends would be good for him.

With every ounce of courage Yuuri could muster, he skated over to the group. He stayed close to Victor, seeing as that was the one person he kind of knew.

“Uh, h-hey,” he said quietly. “I actually...I’d love to go out for drinks.” He smiled and watched the reactions of the group, noticing that the others mostly looked unphased while Victor looked ecstatic.

“Wonderful!” Victor cheered. “I’ll introduce you to everyone!” He glided over to Yuri, the small blond looking extremely disinterested. “You know the other Yuri. Next to him is his mate, Otabek. He too is a skater, even though he’s a beta.” Victor pointed to the person next to Yuri, the tall dark haired beta giving him a small wave but not smiling.

Yuuri smiled and waved back but waited to say anything until Victor introduced him to the other alpha, who was eyeing him just as cautiously as the others.

“And this is Christophe,” Victor finished.

“It’s a pleasure. And what might your name be?” the other alpha purred, though his wary expression didn’t change. He had a different accent also, sounding German or Swedish. Yuuri wasn’t fully sure which since he wasn’t very good with accents.

“M-my name’s Yuuri, also. I’m from Japan.”

Victor continued to smile, moving closer to Yuuri again. “We can talk a lot more once we’re at the restaurant. Are you about ready to go, Yuuri?”

“Yeah. I just need to take my skates off, really. And maybe change? Is there a changing room here?”

“Yup! Back that way,” he said, pointing to the area near the entrance. “We can wait out here for you. We’ll be ready by the time you’re done, I’m sure.”

“Okay. I’ll hurry.” He gave his best smile and headed off the ice, making his way back to the place Victor pointed to.

The changing area was super simple compared to the rest of the rink, the plain room not giving Yuuri much to look at while he changed his clothes, using as much of his fake alpha scent as he was able to without overdoing it. He didn’t want it coming off too strongly in fear that the other alphas might take it as him being standoffish, especially since the other Yuri had his mate with him.

Just as Victor said they would be, the others were all ready to leave when Yuuri came back out.

Again his anxiety fell over him, and Yuuri stood frozen for a moment while his brain panicked. He was about to go off with a bunch of alphas in a place he didn’t know very well. What if something went wrong? These alphas couldn’t be trusted to help him. They seemed like nice people, but were they? Victor seemed nice enough, and Yuri likely wouldn’t bother him while he was with his mate, but what about Christophe? What kind of alpha was he? What if he got aggressive? Weren’t they saying they were about to go out for drinks? Would alcohol make them mean? What if Victor was just pretending to be nice-

“Yuuri? Are you alright?” Victor stood in front of him, waving his hand in front of the smaller man’s face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Yuuri flinched and stepped back, shaking his head. “N-no. I mean, no I haven’t seen a ghost. I’m fine.” He swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat, trying his best to shove those bad thoughts away. Everything would be fine.

Victor gave him a strange look but brushed it off for the time being, ushering him off with the group.

They took two taxis, Victor telling Yuuri that he was going to pay for everything for him. Yuuri tried to decline, but the alpha was persistent and refused to let him pay for anything. He said it was a welcome gift, and at that Yuuri gave in and just accepted it.

The restaurant they went to wasn’t anything too fancy, though Yuuri wasn’t sure why he thought it would be. It was kind of crowded, though, so he enjoyed that. The more people, the less likely any alphas could try anything.

Not that Yuuri paid much attention to them, anyway. As soon as they sat down, Victor adamant about Yuuri being next to him, Yuuri checked out. His nerves were still fried and he was a little tired from skating.

Christophe had clearly warmed up to him as they sat and ate, smiling at him and trying to stir up a conversation. “So, what brings you here, hm? You seem to like skating, but you’re definitely not a pro, so I doubt you came here for that.”

Yuuri looked down at his plate, realizing he hadn’t touched much of it. It made him feel bad since Victor had paid for it, so he started to pick at it a bit more. “Well, I’m just kind of...starting over here. I figured moving from Japan would give me a fresh start, so…” He trailed off and shrugged, taking in a mouthful of food so that he wouldn’t be expected to say more.

“I think that’s wonderful,” Victor smiled. “Are you enjoying it here so far?”

“Y-yeah, it’s been peaceful.” He offered a smile as well and after that didn’t speak much.

He was still nervous and didn’t want them to notice so he kept to himself and just tried to laugh along whenever the group did. It was hard for him to connect with them, anyway. Even if he had wanted to talk with them he knew his mind wouldn’t let him. Everything that came out would be awkward and unrelated anyway, why bother?

“We’re going to order a few drinks. Would you like something?” Victor waved a hand in Yuuri’s direction, shaking the omega from his thoughts.

A drink might help him loosen up a bit, but he also knew himself well enough to know that too much alcohol would lead to bad things. He was an...eccentric drunk.

“I’ll have just one of whatever you’re getting, please. As long as it’s not too much.” Yuuri kept his gaze down on his plate, not caring that the others had sensed his detachment. What was he even thinking, coming here with them? Of course he wouldn’t fit in. He was an omega pretending to be an alpha, they could never really accept him into their friend group.

“I’ll be getting a mixed drink, does that sound alright?” Victor’s friendly smile remained even though Yuuri probably looked bored.

It made the omega wonder if Victor was after something. Why would someone be so nice when all Yuuri was doing was pushing him away? It wasn’t uncommon for alphas to mate with other alphas, so it was possible that Victor was just trying to sleep with him. Not that Yuuri was much to look at. Victor was, though. Maybe Yuuri would be just another notch on his headboard to the alpha.

“It sounds fine,” Yuuri smiled back. He was trying his best to be nice but he knew that he was likely never going to be invited out with them again.

Not long after their waitress brought over their drinks, Yuuri and Victor being handed the same blue, pineapple smelling martinis. Yuuri couldn’t smell alcohol on it and when he took a sip it didn’t really taste like there was much in it.

The others all got either beer or their own colorful drink. Christophe drank all of his as if they were having some sort of contest. Just watching him do it made Yuuri a little queasy. He had to drink his much slower, taking a bite of his food each time he took a sip.

By the end of their dinner, he didn’t feel tipsy but something in his gut definitely didn’t like that he had had the alcohol. They paid and he stood to leave, stumbling a little bit. The ground felt like it had suddenly shifted under him and he accidentally grabbed onto Victor’s arm to steady himself.

“S-sorry,” he mumbled as he pulled his hand away.

Victor gave him a smile but his concern was palpable. “It’s okay. Are you alright?”

Yuuri nodded, cursing himself and his body. What was he thinking, drinking so close to his heat? Already his body was changing its diet for it, he should have known it wouldn’t want the alcohol. “I’m okay.”

“Can’t hold your alcohol?” the other Yuri laughed. “You only had one drink, that’s so lame!”

“Don’t be rude, Yuri. I’ll just take the cab home with him and make sure he gets inside okay.” Victor made a waving gesture at them to shoo them off. “You guys go on, I’ll catch up later.”

Panicked thoughts started to fill Yuuri’s head. The alpha was going to take him home. Alone. He would know where he lived and they would be alone. Victor really didn’t seem like a bad guy, though, so was he worrying for nothing? Having help would be nice, but what if something went wrong?

The others spoke amongst themselves while they waited for cabs, Yuuri standing next to Victor with his fists clenched. He could lie and say that he really didn’t want another alpha in his new home for a while, but that would make him seem more aggressive than he was and the real alpha might see through it.

Both cabs pulled up at about the same time, Yuri, Otabek, and Christophe piling into one of them while Yuuri stared at the open door of his and Victor’s, his nerves splashing around so hectically that he felt like he might puke.

“Sitting down will help,” Victor chuckled.

“Ri-right. Yeah, it will,” Yuuri choked out. He slid into the seat and pulled his seatbelt on, thankful that Victor made sure not to touch him.

“What’s your address?” the alpha asked softly.

Unable to think of an excuse to not give it up, Yuuri spit it out and hoped that his voice wasn’t trembling like he thought it was.

He knew based off of how long it took to get to the restaurant from the rink that the cab ride would be short, so he was thankful that the awkward silence wouldn’t drag on for much longer.

The rock that had settled in his gut during the drive only seemed to get worse when they pulled up to the building.

“Keep it running, I’ll be back down in a moment,” Victor told the driver.

Hearing that made Yuuri feel a little better. The alpha wouldn’t try anything when he had someone waiting on him. He was just there to help Yuuri. He was nice. Alphas could be nice.

“Do you need help out?” Victor offered his hand to Yuuri, but the omega didn’t take it.

Instead, he crawled out of the cab and tripped on the curb. Again he grabbed onto the alpha to keep himself from falling. That time, however, he kept hold of him and let Victor lead him to the apartment doors.

Victor didn’t say anything to him during their walk. He didn’t seem to mind Yuuri awkwardly holding onto his arm and didn’t mind letting the smaller man tug him in the right direction to the elevator.

In the small area, Victor finally said something to him, though Yuuri didn’t hear it. All he could focus on was the overpowering scent Victor gave off, his musk swallowing the air around them. It felt suffocating and yet Yuuri’s inner omega _loved_ it. He hadn’t been this close to an alpha in a while, especially not so close to a heat.

Victor’s shirt was so soft, the thin material calling out to Yuuri to rub his face against it. He wanted to smell like this alpha. Roll around in a nest that had his scent all over it and enjoy feeling secure under its promise to protect him from other alphas.

Just before he let his close-to-heat brain talk him into actually rubbing his face on the alpha’s shoulder, the elevator’s doors opened to his floor and Victor started to walk with him in tow.

“Which one is yours?” Victor said once the doors had closed behind them.

“Oh, uh, second on the right.” His voice cracked. Victor _had_ to know what was going on, right? Yuuri had been so weird and distant, there was no way the alpha couldn’t see that he was different.

Victor walked him to the door, stepping back so that Yuuri could open it. “I hope you feel better. Can I expect to see you at the rink again? Maybe not tomorrow, but perhaps the next day?”

Yuuri let his door swing open, taking in the familiar scent to clear his head. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking. “Y-yeah, I… This rink is a lot bigger than the one I’m used to, and you all seem nice.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, just then realizing that Victor had been carrying his bag. “I’m sorry,” he said as he looked down. “I’m terrible company. Thank you for helping me home, I do appreciate it.”

He looked back at the alpha and tried his best to give an honest smile. Yuuri felt like he could cry right then and there though, so it probably didn’t seem like a happy smile. He still felt sick, his stomach churning from the meal and alcohol, and he hated that he had to be like this. Hated that his fear had prevented him from going home by himself, carrying his own bag, thanking the alpha for paying for him.

“It’s no problem, Yuuri,” he smiled. “I can take this in for you as well if you’d like?”

“Oh, no, no!” Yuuri held his hand out to take the bag from the alpha. “You’ve- you’ve done enough, really. I-I can take it in.”

Victor handed it to him, his cheery demeanor from earlier returning. He dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone and handing it to the omega. “Put your contact information in here and I’ll send you mine when I get home. That way if you ever need anything I can help out. I do know this area pretty well now, so I won’t mind if you need a tour or something.”

The warmth in the alpha’s tone melted some of Yuuri’s stress away, making it much easier for him to focus on typing his name and number in correctly.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” he said as he gave the alpha his phone back. “I guess I’ll...see you later?”

“Definitely! I’ll be sending you a message later, so keep an eye out for it!”

Victor waved as he walked back to the elevator, Yuuri waiting until the alpha was on his way back down before going into his apartment to either cry or vomit. He wasn’t sure which, yet.

As soon as he plopped down on his bed, he buried his face into his pillow and groaned. That was _exhausting._ His head was swimming and he knew that the only reason he had kept his cool, in the end, was because his body was ready to drag the alpha inside to drown the place with his scent.

He would have to avoid the alpha until after his heat, he decided. If Victor caught onto Yuuri’s inner omega pining for him, things could go south. Sure, Victor had been really nice - nicer than Yuuri thought he would be about the situation- but that might just be because he thought Yuuri was an alpha too. Would he be rude to Yuuri if he found out he was an omega? Would he look down on him for it?

Shaking his head, Yuuri pulled himself back out of bed to change into his sleepwear. He needed to stop thinking and maybe watch a show or some videos online. Victor wasn’t trying to hurt him. He was a nice alpha that wanted to make friends, that’s all.

Once in his comfortable clothes, Yuuri pulled his blankets and pillows into a neat bundle in which he sat right in the middle of. His laptop sat in front of him with the speakers low, playing a comedy that kept his attention. His stomach was still upset and his nerves were fried, but Yuuri had to count that day as at least a partial success.

Not only had he talked himself into going out with the group of mostly alphas, he had also kept himself from both breaking down in front of Victor or rubbing his face on the alpha. They were little victories, but he had to hold onto those moments. They were important building blocks in his new life and the more of them he had, the easier it would be to make it.

His phone buzzed at his side and he checked it to find a message from Victor, asking if Yuuri felt any better. He sent his reply, telling him that he just needed some rest and thanked the alpha again for helping him. It felt a little formal, but with time he really could see himself making friends with this alpha, and maybe the others as well. All he had to do was keep latching onto those moments of bravery and remind himself that not every alpha was bad. Victor was nice, and he was sure that under his aggression, the other Yuri was too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More will be revealed as the story goes on! Like where Victor is in his skating career, how he ended up in Chicago, and lots more! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a comment! I like to know what you guys think so that I can improve/add more of what you guys like! (•̀o•́)ง


	4. The Smell of Soup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long. I'm about as free as a caged bird these days so writing hasn't been on my calendar for a while (ノдヽ)
> 
> I hope you like this new chapter! It's a little on the short side because of time but later chapters will make up for it! ˶⚈Ɛ⚈˵

Two days Yuuri stayed pent-up in his apartment. His stomach had gotten upset from the alcohol and he felt much too miserable to go out. Luckily he had groceries for a little while and wouldn’t need to restock or another two weeks or so.

If he were being honest with himself, Yuuri wanted to stay in until after his heat. He still had a little while before it though and didn’t want to waste time just sitting around the house. So, job hunting became his hobby when he got onto his laptop.

Close to dinner time one night, Yuuri got a message from Victor. He was asking about what type of food Yuuri enjoyed, to which Yuuri responded with a list of sweet and savory things, like meats and soups he used to love back home.

Thinking about food made him hungry, though he really didn’t feel like cooking. It also reminded him that his stomach was still upset. The mixture of being a bit lazy and feeling ill ending up keeping him in bed, his curled stomach growling occasionally to remind him that he hadn’t eaten.

Eventually it got bad enough that he decided it was time for at least a small snack, maybe some crackers or a sandwich if he had the stuff for it.

While rummaging through the pantry with a salted crackers in his mouth, Yuuri heard a knock on his door that made him freeze. Who could be coming over around dinner time?

Was it a neighbor wanting to meet him? What if they wanted to come in? His apartment wasn’t messy or anything, but having someone invading his space while he didn’t feel well sounded  _awful._  And what if they were an  _alpha?_

He stared at the door for a few moments in silence. Another knock came and a muffled voice called his name.

Victor.

Yuuri gulped and the cracker fell from his mouth, his shaking hand barely catching it before it fell to the floor. Conflicting emotions tore through his chest, letting in the boiling anxiety he had been trying to avoid. It seeped in like lava, leaving him tense and feeling like he needed to  _run._  He couldn’t, though. There was nowhere  _to_  run. He had to answer the door or face getting a text later, asking him why he mostly ignored Victor these last few days, save for a few quick texts.

“C-coming!” he choked out after throwing the cracker in the trash.

Slowly, Yuuri made his way over to the door, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, kneading the air. It was a very omegan action, one they did to comfort themselves, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it.

When he answered the door, however, he instead gripped the handle and frame, keeping them still while he gave a very awkward smile to the tall alpha in front of him.

“H-hey. Hello.” His voice cracked and he gulped, not missing the worried look that flashed over Victor’s face.

The alpha smiled a bit nervously, holding up the plastic bag in his hand. “Hello, Yuuri. You said something about not feeling well, so I thought I could bring you some juice and something to eat.”

Yuuri’s anxiety ebbed for a moment, a cool feeling putting out some of the fire in his ribcage and cheeks. “Why?” he blurted out. He hadn’t meant for it to sound so rude. The alpha’s kindness just hadn’t been expected.

Victor took it in stride and chuckled. “Well, you’re new in the area and I seem to be one of the only people you know here so far. So, I figured, why not help you out?”

The omega blinked at him, his mouth open slightly. Victor’s musk was just as nice as it had been in the elevator. He wanted the alpha to come in and scent the place, to ward off other alphas with the strong smell that Yuuri was basking in.

But that was his upcoming heat talking. The other part of him was split down the middle in its decision. Victor doing this was  _really_  nice, and turning him down would likely kill their budding relationship right away. On the other hand however, having Victor alone with him in his apartment could spell disaster.

“C-come in.” The side of him that wanted to make friends had won. He stepped aside and let Victor in, watching the alpha like a hawk.

Victor noticed it -it would be impossible not to- but didn’t say anything. He thought Yuuri was an alpha, so he probably just thought he was staring at him because he was invading his territory.

“This is quaint, I love it!” The alpha smiled and spun around to see the whole of the apartment. “It seems like it’s quite cozy. Are you enjoying it so far?”

Yuuri nodded. He tried to muster up something to say but his throat was dry from the cracker and anxiety. This is the first time he had been alone with an alpha like this, and he wasn’t sure if he could keep himself from panicking.

“That’s good!” Victor set the plastic bag on the counter, digging into it and pulling each item out to showcase what he had brought. “I tried to get things that might help an upset stomach, so I hope these help.”

Much too cautiously, Yuuri guided his stiff legs over to the counter. His eyes scanned over the food items, surprised to find that Victor had brought soup and juice, along with some chewable capsules for his stomach.

Victor grabbed the bottle when he noticed Yuuri’s eyes land on it. He shook it a little to produce the obnoxious pill sound those bottle made. “You’ve just moved in, so I thought you might not have anything like this. Are these alright?”

“Yeah, they’re...um, thank you.” Yuuri forced a smile. He had to show the alpha that he really did appreciate what he was doing, even though he was unknowingly making Yuuri uncomfortable.

“It’s not a problem!” He set the bottle back on the counter, grabbing the bowls of still hot soup. The plastic lids were fogged over, the smell seeping through to Yuuri’s sensitive nose. “I got you pork since you said you liked that, but if you don't feel like that right now, I got chicken so we could switch if you’d like.”

“Pork is perfect.” Yuuri eagerly grabbed the bowl, his appetite pushing his anxiety to the side to fill his empty stomach. If there was any path to getting Yuuri to open up, it was one paved with pork.

The alpha watched happily while Yuuri began to dig in, his own food going untouched. He only picked it up and took the top off after Yuuri gave him a curious glance, the fake alpha’s mouth too full to ask why he was staring.

“Is it good? I’ve only had this place once a while ago. I thought of it because it was on the way.” Victor waited for Yuuri’s response to start eating, his spoon at the ready for his approval.

“I like it,” he mumbled through his chewing. “Of course, I haven’t eaten all day, so my judgment on food is probably off…” Yuuri swallowed his mouthful, trying not to look away from Victor’s attentive eyes. Any time an alpha stared at him for too long, Yuuri’s skin would crawl in two ways. He just wished his body could decide if it were scared of Victor or if it wanted him in the nest he would soon be making for his heat.

“Wonderful!” The alpha dug in almost as hungrily as Yuuri had. Based on his reaction, he seemed to enjoy it as well.

Yuuri’s eating slowed when he got about halfway through his bowl. His stomach protested at how quickly he ate but he didn’t feel the need to puke so he simply slowed down to help it.

Still not sure why Victor was being so nice, Yuuri eyed him skeptically. There wasn’t anything yet that suggested he wanted sex. If anything, he just seemed genuinely nice. A decent alpha that wanted to be friends with Yuuri. If that were true, this would be great for him and his adjustment, especially since Victor was being so patient with him.

“I agree, this is delicious! You’ve got good taste, Yuuri.” Victor’s smile was contagious. When he flashed it between bites, Yuuri couldn’t help but smile too.

His eyes landed on the drinks that came with the food. Yuuri pointed to them. “Which one is mine?”

“Whichever one you want.”

Not wanting to pick the one that Victor probably bought for himself, Yuuri thought of what he had told Victor he liked. Out of the two drinks, there was grape juice and orange juice. Orange juice was better for being sick, but grape juice was more savory.

Picking up the grape juice, Yuuri thanked the alpha again for the food. “This was really nice of you. You didn’t have to bring me anything.”

Victor shrugged and set his bowl down, the plastic spoon that had come with it nearly sinking into the soup. “Like I said, you seemed like you could use the help. I know all too well how stressful it can be coming to a new area, especially coming from another country to America. It’s a big change, and I want to be a friendly face you can count on.”

Yuuri’s mind went into another flurry of emotions and thoughts. Victor  _was_  really nice. A nice alpha that just wanted to help him. One that wanted to make sure he was okay.

But what would he do if he knew Yuuri wasn’t really an alpha? What would he still be this nice? He had defended omegas back at the rink when the other Yuri had been bad mouthing them. Did he actually think that, or was he just saying it to be nice?

And what if Yuuri let Victor into his life and had to eventually tell him the truth? Would the alpha be mad at him for lying? Would he suddenly change? After all, it was impossible to truly know someone, even after being around each other for years.

“Are you feeling alright?” The concern in Victor’s eyes eased Yuuri.

It would be nearly impossible for someone with such caring eyes to turn around and be cruel. Yuuri hoped, anyway.

He would just have to go with his gut and see how things played out.

“I’m okay. Still a little queasy is all.” He swallowed thickly and took a sip of the grape juice. “Thank you. What you’re doing it’s… I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem! I’m just glad I can be helpful in some way.” Victor’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he took a moment to answer it, a small frown flashing on his lips. “It seems I have some things I need to do before the day is over.” He packed his leftovers and drink back in the bag. “I hope you feel better soon. Please don’t hesitate to call or text me should you need anything.”

Yuuri smiled back at him, placing his bowl down so that he could walk Victor to the door. “S-sorry you couldn’t stay. Thank you again for stopping by.” Though he was relieved that Victor wasn’t staying long, part of Yuuri couldn’t help but wish the alpha would stick around just a bit longer so his scent would soak into the apartment.

“Of course. Anytime, Yuuri.”

After a slightly awkward goodbye at the door -Yuuri taking much too long to close the door while Victor walked away- the omega was left alone again in his apartment. His stomach fluttered wildly for a few reasons.

He didn’t think he’d ever find himself sniffing the air, trying to cling to the scent of an alpha. Most of what he could smell was the soup, but the warmth of it reminded him of the strong, heady scent Victor had. There was a chance he would always associate the alpha with the smell now, but he was alright with that.

Victor was turning out to be the kind of alpha that could help Yuuri heal. This move was proving to be helpful and Yuuri hadn’t even been there a month. He hadn’t even thought about panicking almost the entire time the alpha had been there thanks to the kindness he had shown.

It was a breath of fresh air, one that Yuuri happily inhaled when he laid down to sleep, his shirt pressed against his nose so he could fall asleep to the smell of soup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri will maybe learn to accept that Victor really will be good for him. We've got a lot of road blocks to work through before that though.  
> Later chapters won't be this tame with his decision making（☆ω☆*）
> 
> Thank you for reading! I always appreciate comments and kudos! ☆*。★ﾟ*♪ヾ(☆ゝз・)ノ

**Author's Note:**

> If you leave a comment or a kudos, I'll love you forever! If you follow me on Tumblr, I'll...love you even more?? [Plus you'll get updates on what's going on with this story, so that's cool too!]
> 
> Thanks for reading! ✧⁺⸜(●′▾‵●)⸝⁺✧


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